Home is Where The Heart Is
by SimplyBrilliant
Summary: After three years of being missing, Ron returns home. Hermione has to unravel the story of what happened to him, what is to come, and how she can help him to become the man she once knew. Rated M for language, suggestive content, and scenes with nudity.
1. Chapter 1

Never again shall I experience heartache. Never again shall I wonder when my husband is coming home. Never again shall I fear tomorrow. Never again shall I mourn alone.

Chapter 1

Hermione sat alone at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee between her palms. Her fingers strummed away at some unknown beat as she stared at the front door. Would he arrive today? Would he be home tomorrow?

It had been three long years since Ron had exited their home the final time. Hermione remembered the day well. She had gotten out of bed that morning in a particularly foul mood, but managed somehow to have a smile on her face as she sent the children and her husband out the door headed toward the train station. It was back to school day.

She'd kissed him softly on the cheek; too softly. If she'd know it was the last time she'd see him she wouldn't have let him go. Off they went, leaving Hermione in the doorframe in her fuzzy pink robe and cup of coffee in her hand, not unlike today.

Hermione wiped her cheek with the back of her hand as she heard her youngest thundering down the stairs.

"Mummy! I cannot find my cat," Hugo grumbled, "I think he got out in the garden."

"Perhaps you should stop leaving the backdoor open every time you go out to play?" Hermione suggested, rolling her eyes. That cat had been the most insufferable creature since they'd purchased him the year before; always hiding, eating things he shouldn't, dragging mice in…

"I'm twelve years old, Mum! I don't _play _any longer. I'm not a child," Hugo screwed up his face in disgust, looking exactly like his father.

"Then why did you just call me Mummy only a few seconds ago?" Hermione smirked, turning and crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Hugo sighed dramatically and turned, stomping back up the stairs, mumbling something about mothers and how they don't understand anything. Hermione chuckled quietly, pouring herself another cup of coffee. Eustis the cat would certainly show up sometime soon. Hermione wasn't about to break her neck searching for the gray ball of fluff.

"Mum!" Rose shouted from the top of the stairs, irritation evident in her voice.

"What is it, Rose?" Hermione called in return, aggravated already. She peered at the clock. It was only nine. Great start to the day.

"Where is my pink sweater? The one that fits tight in the middle?" Rose yelled.

"In the hamper where you left it," Hermione called back.

"Ugh!" Rose stomped down the corridor toward the laundry room.

Hermione shook her head and took her seat at the kitchen table once again, "Ronald Weasley, I miss you…"

(Thanks for reading the first chapter! Going to keep them short and sweet. Will post more soon. Please review!)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The train station was incredibly busy today, as it was every year this time. Hermione hoarded her small brood toward the correct platform, 9 ¾, and loaded her children quickly onto the Hogwarts Express, but not before quick pecks on the cheeks.

Just as she was about to leave, she noticed Harry and Ginny out of the corner of her eye. For fear of looking rude, Hermione turned and forced the most genuine, fake smiles she had ever mustered.

"Hello!" Hermione beamed at her old friends before being engulfed in hugs. She felt like screaming but held it in, waiting for the embrace to end. After stepping back she looked both of them up and down. Older, but still looking healthy.

"Hermione!" Ginny cried, "It's been too long."

"That it has," Harry agreed, grinning from ear to ear.

"Two years," Hermione muttered, a small smile across her lips.

"That long already? How have you managed to dodge us?" Harry chuckled.

Hermione forced her smile a little bigger, awkwardly crossing her arms.

"Guess what?" Ginny grinned before pulling her coat apart to reveal a very large bump, "We're pregnant! Eight months along."

Hermione went slightly white, feeling suddenly jealous and extremely claustrophobic, "I.. Erm.. Congratulations," she cleared her throat, "I don't mean to be rude but I have a lunch date."

"Of course," Harry looked concerned, but gave Hermione a solid pat on the back, "Go on. We will see you at Christmas, I'm sure."

Hermione gave a noncommittal nod before turning and walking as fast as she possibly could. As soon as she could duck into a bathroom she did, breaking down miserably. She sobbed, wondering why that couldn't be her baby about to be born… Why couldn't her husband be there with her at King's Cross to see the kids off to school? Why? Why her?

After returning home, Hermione stripped down to nothing, tossing her clothing in the hamper. She climbed the stairs, dragging her feet as she went. She was tired in every sense of the word. Her body and mind ached and throbbed from depression. It was difficult to keep things up for the kids. When she knew they weren't watching she let it all out: cried, sobbed, shook, screamed, everything…

She drew a bath as hot as she knew she could stand it and poured probably half the bottle of Calgon inside. After it had reached a properly foamy consistency she climbed inside, dropping down to her chin and closing her eyes.

Tears flowed freely into the bubbly water, silent tears that held all of her frustration, pain and guilt. Hermione balled up, her knees coming to her chest as she let everything go.

"Hermione?" A rough voice came from the doorway.

Hermione jerked upward, her arms covering her chest as her eyes settled on a scarred, weathered face. Her husband's face.

It was two seconds. Two seconds that it took for Hermione to make it out of the tub and across the bathroom into her husband's arms. Two seconds that took everything she had been enduring away, out the window, forever to be gone.

Hermione couldn't believe this. She must have been dreaming, but he was so real. Warm, strong, virile, her's.

(Third chapter to come soon! Please review!)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hermione couldn't believe what had just happened. Ron smelled of earth and musk, sweat and heat. She stepped back and glanced him up and down. Her hands flew shakily to his face before she kissed him violently, sobbing the entire time. Ron was barely moving, seemingly in a daze.

"Ronald! Ron! Where have you been?" Hermione nearly shrieked, halfway in joy and halfway in anger, now knowing that he was okay. Why had he left them? Had he left them by his own free will?

"I don't know," Ron muttered, pushing her back slightly. He seemed to be overwhelmed. "Yesterday I got up," he started as Hermione ushered him to the bathtub and began stripping him down. He needed to be bathed terribly.

He continued, "I had breakfast, you saw us off, and I took the kids to the train," he seemed to almost be sleepwalking as he spoke, no emotion in his voice and eyes half-lidded.

"Yesterday?" Hermione stopped him, "You've been gone for three years today, Ronald!"

"No," Ron looked at her as if she were mad, "I just took them to the train yesterday, Hermione. Then I woke up this morning in the rubbage outside of the Leaky Cauldron."

Hermione nearly started crying again. What had happened to him? He worked in the Department of Mysteries. Could someone have kidnapped him? But why?

"Ron… You've been gone for three years… Look," Hermione went running from the room as her husband climbed into the tub. She snatched a picture of the children riding their broomsticks off the mantle and rushed back to the bathroom, "See? They're three years older. Hugo and Rose aren't babies anymore."

Ron stared at the photograph for a moment, studying the smiling faces of the children as they whizzed about the frame. Hermione watched his face for any sort of reaction or emotion but there were none.

"I need to go to work," Ron said after a moment, handing her the picture, "I need to sort this out."

"Not today! You stay here with me!" Hermione almost began crying again. She couldn't fathom the idea of him running off when he'd just arrived at home, "We'll take you into St. Mungo's in the morning to have you evaluated."

"No. We go today," he said in a monotone voice, "Then we go to the ministry."

Hermione nodded. She could deal with this as long as he permitted her to go. Otherwise, she wasn't going to let him leave. There was no way.

(More to come sometime today! Please review!)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Hermione had made sure Ron was shaven and clean as well as well-dressed before following him out the front door and apparating to St. Mungo's. They walked inside, Ron leading the way, and made their way to the front desk.

After a few minutes, Hermione noticed a blond nurse gawking at Ron, pointing her finger and whispering in another's ear. Suddenly the entire hospital admitting area began to buzz as everyone's attention turned to Ron and Hermione.

She felt her cheeks grow warm as she grabbed Ron's arm and pulled him gently toward the triage area, eager to get out of the line of view of all of the staff and patients as well as family members of both that were scattered throughout the large reception area.

Once inside, Hermione pushed the door shut and turned toward the triage nurse who was filling out paperwork. The woman looked up, "I'm sorry but you'll have to wait your turn."

The woman stopped, her quill falling to her parchment as she saw who was standing before her, "Mr. Weasley! You're not dead!"

Hermione scowled, "How sensitive. I wonder how fantastic your bedside manner is."

Ron turned to Hermione, "It's okay."

Hermione shut up at that. She wasn't going to fight with him the first day of his return. Right now she wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed with him and sleep all day, all night, and spend the next day talking about everything that had gone on while he was gone. She'd missed him so much that she'd completely cut herself off from everything and everyone besides her children.

"I apparently have been missing for three years. I would like to know what kind of curse or jinx was put on me," Ron spoke softly, still in a slight daze.

The nurse nodded and quickly began grabbing papers from all directions. She handed them to Hermione who immediately started filling them out after drawing a fountain pen from her purse.

Ron followed the woman back and got his measurements as well as vitals taken before the couple was escorted to their own room.

The curtain was drawn and Hermione took comfort in this. She didn't need any more eyes on the two of them. She needed alone time to talk.

"You said you woke up in the rubbage at The Leaky Cauldron? What is the very last thing you remember?" Hermione finished the paperwork and signed before shoving it on the nearest counter and turning back to Ron.

He thought for a moment before speaking, "I remember big black eyes."

"Before that?"

"The last thing before that was I dropped the kids off at the train. Then I headed to work. I was walking out of the train station and met a fellow by the name of…" He struggled to remember, "It started with an H."

"Then?"

"We spoke a few words and I went back on my way… Except maybe four or five steps down the street I lose memory. I just remember the black eyes. Maybe he had black eyes," Ron looked like he was nearly hurting himself trying to remember.

"Just rest, love," Hermione reached over and touched his knee lovingly, "We'll talk more about it later, I'm sure."

Ron teared up, swallowing hard and covering Hermione's hand with his own much larger one, "I can't begin to imagine what you've been through while I was gone."

Hermione shook her head violently, tearing up as well, "No," she sniffled, "I have been fine. I have managed."

"You're… You're so frail and white," Ron choked on his words, the tears coming more heavily, "This is all my fault."

Hermione jumped out of her chair and wrapped her arms around him as tight as she could, "No, this is not your fault."

(Please review! More to come tonight! )


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It had been a week since Ron's return home and there was still no word from St. Mungo's test results. They'd conducted at least twenty tests before allowing the couple to leave the hospital and had checked Ron over for any kind of curse known to wizardkind. There was absolutely no trace of anything.

Hermione hated to admit it, but she secretly wondered if her husband had intentionally left. No sooner than the thought had popped into her head did it leave, however it still lingered in the back of her mind, lurking there, mocking her.

Ron was beginning to become his normal self again. They hadn't made love, however Hermione had tried twice. Ron didn't really seem interested yet and she assumed it was because he'd been traumatized by his disappearance. This was understandable to her, however she still wanted to be with her husband… It had been three years, after all.

It was at the two week mark that St. Mungo's finally sent an owl to the home. Hermione heard the tapping of the bird's beak at the kitchen window while she washed the morning dishes. She turned around, opened the window, and paid the owl before accepting the parchment attached to its leg.

She carefully slid her finger under the fold of the envelope and popped it open, eyes looking carefully over each and every word.

_Mr. and Mrs. Weasley,_

_We regret to inform you that we missed a curse during the scan earlier this month._

_It appears that Mr. Weasley is suffering from an advanced Imperius curse._

_It is imperative that you return to St. Mungo's __**today **__in order to have the curse removed. _

_Mrs. Weasley is in great danger while she is in the home with Mr. Weasley in this state. He is liable to still be under the control of whoever cursed him. Please do not disregard this letter._

_Sincerely,_

_St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies_

Hermione had just set the letter down on the counter when a hand wrapped around her throat from behind. She gasped, struggling to get air.

Ron held her tight to his chest, eyes glazed over, "Listen, bitch. Go upstairs and strip. Hide in the closet and stay there until you hear me disapparate. Understood?"

Hermione was hyperventilating. She nodded quickly, tears leaking from her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. Ron released her and she reluctantly walked toward the stairs, climbing them as calmly as she possibly could.

"Hermione!" Ron called out, "What's happening to me?"

Hermione turned around, so confused. Just a moment ago he'd been choking her. Now he was calling out to her? What was going on?

"I don't know, Ronald," Hermione cried out. She saw his eyes glaze over again but only momentarily. Was the curse wearing off? Was this why Ron had returned? Perhaps after a certain amount of time the magic began to fade!

She had an idea, as Hermione always did. She ran as fast as she could back down the stairs and ripped open the top kitchen drawer, snatching her wand out of it. She turned to Ron and cast a full body bind on him, watching him topple over to the floor. He jerked slightly and his eyes widened.

"I'm sorry, love, but I have to get you to the hospital," Hermione choked out, tears brimming in her eyes. She levitated him toward the fireplace and off they went.

(Please review!)


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